Infant&#39;s convertible garment



March 20, 1956 Filed Dec. 13, 1954 M. WINER 2, ,512

INFANT S CONVERTIBLE GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. MEL V/N W/NER BYgMM A TToENEr' March 20, 1956 M. WINER 2,738,512

mum's CONVERTIBLE GARMENT Filed Dec. 13, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M'fl W/V W/NER'.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent INFANTS CONVERTIBLE GARMENT Melvin Winer, Teaneck, N. J., assignorto Winer Sportswear, Inc., Paterson, N. 3).

Application December 13, 1954, Serial No. 474,733

2 Claims. (Cl. 2--80) This invention relates generally to garment constructions, and is particularly directed to convertible garment constructions adapted to be transformed into different types of garments.

While the invention has been primarily developed and employed in connection with a small childs garment convertible between a sack-like bunting and a bifurcated snowsuit, and will be described hereinafter with particular reference thereto, it is appreciated that the invention has numerous other applications relating to different types and sizes of garments. The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally front and back garment sections, each bifurcated to provide leg portions, and means for opening and closing the front garment section.

Heretofore, as is well known, conventional buntings and other sack-like baby garments are used only for a relatively short time, that period during the colder months before the baby is able to crawl. Whenthe babys activity increases so that he is capable of crawling, standing or walking, it is necessary that he wear a bifurcated garment permitting adequate leg movement. The hunting is, therefore, soon discarded, long before the end of its useful life, in favor of a snowsuit or similar bifurcated coverall.

It is also well known that conventional snowsuit constructions of the type incorporating slide fasteners in the front garment section have certain undesirable characteristics. In particular, prior snowsuit constructions have been formed so that a sharp bend is necessary in a slide fastener which opens fully into the crotch region between the babys legs. Such deformation or bending of the slide fastener causes rapid wear and frequent damage to the latter, and also seriously impedes operation of the fastener.

In order to overcome this difficulty, it was the practice to use slide fasteners which stopped short of the crotch region. However, this increased the difiiculties always present in a child-dressing operation, as regards both the outer and inner garments. In some prior bifurcated baby garments, there were employed two slide fasteners for separably connecting a central panel in the front garment section. The central panel was necessarily pieced or fabricated of plural sheets. Hence, prior snowsuits having two slide fasteners were more costly, and the pieced central front section panel was undesirable both for its unattractive appearance and poor wearing qualities.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a garment construction of the type describedwhich overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages, and which is equally well adapted for use both as a bunting or sack-type garment, and as a snowsuit or other bifurcated garment. Further, the instant invention contemplates the provision of novel means permitting quick and easy conversion of the garment from one type to another by the exercise of only ordinary skill.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a garment of the type described which is simple in construction and operation, durable in use, neat and attracice tive in appearance, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost. 1

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front view showing a garment constructed in accordance with the present invention, and illustrating the garment converted to its closed, snowsuit condition.

Fig. 2 is a rear view showing/the garment of Fig. I converted to its bunting condition. 7

Fig. 3 is a partial front view, showing the garment of Fig. 1 in an open condition.

Fig. 4 is a partial front view showing the garment of Fig. l in an intermediate stage of conversion to its bunting condition.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing blanks adapted for use as the central, front side and lower back panels of the garment of Figs. 14.

Fig. 6 is a schematic, sectional view taken through the garment of Figs. 1-4.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the right and left lower back panels of the garment of Figs. 1-4.

Fig. 8 is a front perspective view of the garment as worn by a child, the leg portions being, shown in unfastened condition. 1

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Figs. 1-4 thereof, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises a garment having a front body covering section, generally designated 21, and a back body covering section, generally designated 22. The front and back sections are secured together, as by stitching or other suitable means, along their side and top edges, being left unsecured in the conventional manner to form armholes and a neck opening. Right and left sleeves 23 and 24, respectively, are secured in the armholes, and a collar 25 is secured about the neck opening. If desired, an elastic, as at 26, or other suitable constricting means may be provided extending about the mid-portion of the garment.

The front body covering section 21 includes a central panel 30, which is flat and may be formed of a single piece of cloth or suitable sheet material. The central panel of the front garment section 21 extends generally vertically or longitudinally of the garment, and is formed with substantially straight side edges 31 and 32 which diverge from the upper to the lower panel end. Further, the lower end of the panel 30 is cutaway, as at 33 (see Fig. 8), to bifurcate the lower end portion of the central panel and define leg portions 34 and 35. Along the inner edges 36 and 37 of the leg portions 34 and 35, respectively, are provided detachable fastening means, which preferably assume the form of interengageable or mating snap fasteners, as at 38 and 39 (see Figs. 3 and 4). It will be observed that the fasteners 38 of the leg portion 34 are female, and the fastener elements 39 of the leg portion are male, so as to be detachably interengageable with each other for releasably securing the leg portion edges 36 and 37 together, in forming a sack bottom or bunting.

The front body covering section 21 is also composed of a pair of side panels 44 and 45 disposed on opposite sides of the central panel 30. The oppositely disposed side panels 44 and 45 have their inner edges 46 and 47, respectively, substantially straight, and detachably secured along the central panel edges 31 and 32 byslide fasteners 48 and 49. Thus, the side panels 44 and 45 3 combine with the central panel to define a bifurcated front garment section in which the central panel, and hence the crotch region at the juncture of the leg portions 34' and 35-, is substantially flat.

The back garment section 22 may be formed of twoor more panels, such as the upper back panel 54, and the left and right lower back panels 55' and 56. The upper back or blouse panel 54' may be conventional, being secured to the outer and top edges of the front side panels 44' and 45', while the lower back or pants panels and 56 may be identical, embracing novel structural features best seen in Figs. 5 and 7, and combine with the blouse panel to define a bifurcated back garment section.

As the panels 55 and 56 are identical, a detailed description of the single blank 55 of Fig. 5 will suffice. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper edge 57 of the lower back section panel 55 is secured to' one-half of the lower edge of the blouse panel 54 in the mid-region of the garment. The outer edge 58 of the panel 55 conforms in shape to the outer edge of the front side panel 45 and is secured thereto. However, the inner edge of the back pants panel 55 is substantially straight as at 59 over the upper or seat portion 60 of the back pants panel, and extends inwards a substantial distance, as at 61, in the crotch region. The inner leg portion edge 62 extends generally downwards and outwards, converging outwardly toward the outer edge 58. In the finished assembly, the inner seat portion edge 59 and the crotch edge 61 are secured to the inner seat portion and crotch edges of the panel 56. It will now be appreciated that the crotch region of the back garment section 22, may be extended forwardly between the legs of the wearer to meet the relatively flat crotch region of the front garment section 21.

In Fig. 8 the garment is shown as worn by a child with the fasteners 38, 39, 69 and unsecured. This illustrates that the rear crotch region comes forward to meet the crotch region of the flat front central panel.

On the inner edges of the leg portions 63 and 64 of the back panels 55 and 56 are provided detachable fastener elements 69 and 70, respectively, which are preferably of the interengageable snap type, the same as at 38 and 39. The fastener elements 69 are female and the fastener element 70 male for mating interengagement with each other. In addition, snap fastener elements (not shown) may be provided on the lower edge of the rear leg portions 63 and 64, and on the lower edges of the front side panels 44 and 45, as at 71 and 72, the fastener elements of each leg being interengageable with each other, for purposes appearing presently.

Preferably securedabout the lower ends of the front and back section leg portions are knitted cuffs 75 and 76, or other suitable constricting means, which are operable with the garment legs and provided with additional snap fastener closure elements 38, 39, 69 and 70. Knitted cuffs may also be secured on the ends of the sleeves 23 and 24, as at 77 in Figs. 1 and 2, having snap fastener elements 78 and 79 associated therewith.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the snap fastener elements 70 of the right rear leg portion are secured to snap fastener elements 38 of the adjacent, right front leg portion 34 to define a right garment leg; and, the'fastener elements 69 of the left rear leg portion 63 are secured to the fastener elements 39 of the left front leg portion 35 to define a left garment leg. In this condition, the garment maybe employed as a snowsuit, coverall or the like, and readlly opened and closed by operation of the slide fasteners 31 and 32, see Fig. 3, to permit placement of the baby in the garment and removal therefrom, as well as to afford access for changing the babys diaper, etc.

For added protection against the elements, mittens or gloves 83 may be detachably secured in position over the cuffs 77 by means of the snap fasteners 78 and 79. Boots or booties 84 may be similarly secured over the leg cuffs 75 and 76 by securement to the snap, fasteners 71 and.

72. Further, increased chest protection is afforded by the internal flaps 35 and 36 on the inner edges of the front side panels 44 and 45, and detachably secured together by snap fasteners or other suitable means.

In order to convert the snowsuit of Fig. 1 into the bunting of Fig. 2, it is only necessary to disengage the fastener elements 38, 39, 69 and 70, and rc-engage those fastener elements necessary to secure together the leg portions of each garment section. More specifically, the female fastener elements 69 of the rear or back garment section 22 are coupled to the male fastener elements 70, also of the back garment section (the condition illustrated in Fig. 4). The male fastener elements 39 of the front garment section 21 are then coupled to the female fastener elements 38 also of the front garment section, so that the front and back section leg portions combine to define a tubular arrangement having its lower end open and constricted by the combined cuffs 75 and 76. To close the lower tubular end of the garment, it is only necessary to turn the cuffs upwards and inwards into the garment and couple the mating elements 71 and 72 of each leg portion to their respective mates.

While the invention has been described particularly with respect to outer garments, it will be understood that the disclosed structure also lends itself admirably to sleeping garments in which case, however, the knitted wristlets and anklets may be omitted, and also, if desired, the booties may be permanently secured to, or made as an integral part of, the leg portions.

it should also be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the particular fastening means shown and described. Obviously, any type of fastening means may be substituted for those shown.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a convertible garment construction which fully accomplishes its intended objects and which is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A combination bunting and snowsuit comprising a front body-covering section having bifurcated leg portions respectively left and right, a back body-covering section having bifurcated leg portions respectively left and right, each section secured along its outer edges to the corresponding outer edges of said other body-covering section, said back body-covering section having its crotch region extending forwardly and meeting the crotch region of said front body-covering section, and interchangeable cooperating fastener elements along the inner edges of both said front section leg portions, and of said back section leg portions, the confronting edges of both the leg portions of said front section being detachably secured together by said cooperating fastener elements and the confronting edges of both the leg portions of said back section being detachably secured together by said cooperating fastener elements whereby to define a sack-like garment, and the inner edge of the left back leg portion being dc tachably securable to the inner edge of the left front leg portion by said cooperating fastener elements, and the inner edge of the right back leg portion being detachably securable to the inner edge of the right front leg portion by said cooperating fastener elements to define left and right garment legs, a pair of slide fasteners secured in said front body covering section and extending on opposite sides of said front crotch region from the upper end of said front section to below said crotch region to subdivide said front body-covering section into a bifur cated central panel and opposite side panels, the latter being separably connected to said central panel by said slide fasteners, and said bifurcated central panel being displaceable away from'said side panels when the slide fasteners are separated, to afford complete access to the interior of said garment.

2. A garment selectively convertible between a sack like bunting and a bifurcated snowsuit, said garment com prising a body-encircling portion and leg portions extending therefrom, said garment having a slit extending upwardly from the inner lower end of each leg portion to the crotch where said slits meet and join each other, interchangeable cooperating fastener elements secured along the edges of each said slit which are interengaged releasably for closing said leg slits when the garment is to be used as a bifurcated snowsuit, said cooperating fastener elements being interengaged for releasably joining the rear edges of said two leg portions and the front edges of said leg portions when the garment is to be used as a sack-like bunting, said garment also having a pair of spaced-apart slits each extending downwardly from the front top edge through the body portion and a leg portion on opposite sides of the crotch and terminating short of the bottom of the legs, said pair of spaced apart slits providing an intermediate bifurcated front panel, slide fastener assemblies secured along said pair of spaced-apart slits to releasably close said second-mentioned pair of slits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 774,452 Rathschuler Nov. 8, 1904 1,973,421 Wallace Sept. 11, 1934 2,186,918 Wolf Jan. 9, 1940 2,257,426 Neiman Sept. 30, 1941 2,421,848 Philipps June 10, 1947 2,449,873 Brockman Sept. 21, 1948 2,502,296 Werber Mar. 28, 1950 2,622,248 Schaye Dec. 23, 1952 2,680,849 Munro June 15, 1954 

